Boarding school nights of vice

Students spend a lot of time on the Internet, but they are more likely to be looking at Face Book or soft porn than doing research for science projects, and many of those in boarding schools sneak out at night in search of sex, drugs and alcohol when their parents and teachers think they are studying or sleeping, according to surveys conducted by students themselves in Kenyan secondary schools.

A survey at a top boy’s school entitled Operation Mtandao indicated that 80 per cent of the 60 secondary school students queried use the Internet for entertainment and socialising, including looking at what they described as pornography, compared to the 5 per cent who say they use the net for educational purposes.

Although 65 per cent of the students questioned said they support the concept of e-learning, the student researchers said the very small number of students who use the Internet primarily for study represents “a very worrying trend”.

A survey at a top Nairobi girls’ school entitled Prison Break found that 87 per cent of the students would sneak out at night to go to clubs or to meet their boyfriends.

Another entitled Shag is now the Hug found that 36 per cent of the girls had already had their first sexual experience, while three quarters of them were now sexually active.

When asked who was responsible for their involvement in sexual activities before the age of 18, 64 per cent of the girls pointed to their parents.

The research indicated that although most of the students do not discuss sex with their parents, a quarter did say that their parents were aware that their daughters were sexually active.

These findings represent the efforts of some of the 2,000 members of the Research Clubs of Kenya, a project initiated by The Steadman Group two years ago to familiarise young people with research methods and how to use them to identify problems in their own schools.

“The aim is to demystify research and to get the young people to understand how to use it to help solve problems,” Emily Gumba, the RCK programme coordinator, told the Sunday Nation.

Secondary schools

She explained that Steadman had contacted a number of secondary schools and invited them to participate in the programme; those that responded were asked to select teachers to attend a two-day training course. Steadman provides mentors to help the student researchers once they have identified an issue they wish to investigate.

Since their inception in 2007, the research clubs have chosen to look into issues involving sexual activity, drug and alcohol abuse, Internet use and pornography and the ill effects—if any—of extracurricular activities on academic performance.

The results have generally revealed a darker side to secondary school life than parents and school administrators might like, but the research into after-class activities did indicate that participation in sports and clubs did not impact negatively on students’ school work.

The research into drug abuse indicates that nearly a quarter of the students in the school where the survey was conducted consumed alcohol, while 50 per cent said that fellow students were the primary source of the drugs they consumed.

A third of those questioned said they found the drugs — generally painkillers and cough syrups — at home, while 20 per cent said they also consumed them at home.